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Elizabeth Sherman
Elizabeth "Liz" Sherman is a pyrokinetic female human, and part-time Agent of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Her parents died when she accidentally set fire to the neighborhood as a child. After the incident, Sherman became a street thief for 10 years. Frustrated by her life, Elizabeth eventually joined the B.P.R.D.. Though she has left the Bureau numerous times, she always returns because it is the closest thing she has to a home or a family. Biography: Born in Kansas City, Kansas, on April 15, 1962, Liz had a normal childhood until her pyrokinetic abilities began to manifest themselves when she was ten. Raised Catholic, Liz felt that the fires were a result of her sins, and for a short time managed to keep the fires under control by a combination of prayer and sheer force of will. However, in July 1973, at age eleven, she once again lost control. The resulting eruption destroyed an entire city block and, among the thirty-two fatalities, took the lives of her parents, brother, and pet dog. At age 12 became ward of Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense in May 1974, Liz learned to control her power to some degree. In 1980, she became a full agent. She is often teamed with Hellboy and Abe Sapien. However, her childhood trauma has left her bitter and she often leaves the B.P.R.D. only to return soon afterwards. Liz's last uncontrolled manifestation took place on July 4, 1984 The Giurescu Affair: see Wake the Devil During the “Giurescu Affair”, Liz briefly (and foolishly) tried to rid herself of her pyrokinesis by using it to jump-start the dormant Roger the Homunculus, causing the death of Bud Waller, and for Liz to fall into a coma. Liz was taken to the Wauer Institute in Tirgoviste, Romania where she was treated by Dr. Olasz. Eventually Roger, now .]] reformed and a Bureau agent, voluntarily returned her powers to her. She would always be plagued with guilt concerning the incident. Gaining Control: In order to learn how to better control her abilities, Liz temporarily lived with a society of monks in the Agartha Temple in the Ural Mountains. She later returned to the B.P.R.D., and did her best to accept the changes that had been made to the team (Hellboy having previously resigned). As a result of her time amongst the monks, Liz now has complete control over fire: she can produce small hand-sized flames to light her way in darkness, she can erupt in a furious explosion of fire to destroy anything around her, and can also manipulate fire into shapes and designs. Her powers have become greatly magnified by a mysterious object. This dramatic increase in her already-considerable powers allowed Sherman to burn the towering Katha Hem entity into dust. Powers and Abilities: Sherman is capable of pyrokinesis (mental control over flames). She can mentally generate fire, projecting flames from her hands or having it surround her body in a protective cocoon. She has also, on rare occasions, been able to levitate with her fire, but this is a fairly uncommon occurrence. Her powers are extremely volatile and are capable of a very wide radius and measure of destruction; when her powers first awoke as a child, she killed dozens of people. Sherman's pyrokinesis appears to be something above and beyond "typical" pyrokinesis; more then once it has been hinted that her powers stem from some sort of entity or presence that dwells inside her, one that isn't necessarily based on fire but rather energy in general. In "Seed of Destruction" Rasputin referred to Sherman's powers as a living thing, hinting that it might be separate to her in some way. If this is true, then it would seem the "entity" that gives Sherman her pyrokinesis shares a symbiotic relationship with her; removal of her powers has been shown to be extremely damaging and even lethal to her. It is also possible that her powers stem from a portion of her soul instead of a separate being; in "Hollow Earth" her energy is stolen away, leaving her body an empty husk. Her imprisoned powers are shown to look and act like her, insinuating that they are, in fact, her. In either case, it is clear that Sherman's pyrokinesis is a vital part of her being, necessary for keeping her alive. Several characters have successfully used Sherman's power as a fuel or energy source, notably Rasputin and the King of Fear, who used her to empower an Ogdru Hem and reactivate ancient machinery respectively. This further supports the suggestion that her powers are based around more then just simple fire. In the Hellboy movie franchise, Sherman's powers differ slightly in that they can be easily triggered by pain. This is only shown in the first Hellboy movie, with Sherman's abilities being much more controlled in the second. Liz Sherman's powers and the nature in which they function are similar to those of the Marvel Comics superheroine/villain, Phoenix. Also, like Jean Grey, the Phoenix's alter ego, Sherman is a red-head and a part of "super team." In addition, both characters have died and come back to life several times. It is possible that these similarities are an intentional homage. Allies and Enemies Allies *[[Hellboy (character)|'Hellboy':]] A red-skinned demon with a right hand made of stone. He was summoned to Earth as a child to be the catalyst for the upcoming Apocalypse, but was rescued by American soldiers and raised to become a force for good. A B.P.R.D. agent, Hellboy is a friend and partner to Liz, and in the films, is also her boyfriend. *'Abraham Sapien': An amphibious humanoid of mysterious origin, this fellow agent can breath underwater thanks to a set of gills, can swim at high speeds, and is one of Liz’s closest friends in the B.P.R.D. *[[Thomas Manning|'Thomas Manning']]: The head of the B.P.R.D.. He is the one who usually briefs Liz and her fellow agents on their new missions. *'Sidney Leach': Liz was paired with Leach on a mission when they were searching for the castle of Vladimir Giurescu. Enemies *'Grigori Rasputin': Liz first encountered the sorcerer Grigori Rasputin during the Cavendish Hall case when he tried to use her powers to awaken the Ogdru Jahad. Behind the Scenes: Relationship with Hellboy: In the Hellboy film series, Elizabeth Sherman has a romantic relationship with Hellboy, eventually becoming pregnant with his twin children. However, in the comic books, Liz and Hellboy are just partners and close friends; there is no hint of a romantic relationship between the two of them. She is more of a sister-figure than a girlfriend. Other Media: Live-action films: In the film continuity, Elizabeth Sherman is a quiet, shy and introverted individual who suffers from deep guilt and lack of self-esteem over her rampant powers. She finds solace in her childhood friend Hellboy, who holds a very strong romantic interest in her. Eventually, through the coercion of FBI agent John Meyers, she agreed to return to the B.P.R.D. “only for the weekend,” to the delight of Hellboy. However, the event of Trevor Bruttenholm’s murder convinced Elizabeth that Hellboy needed her support during this emotional time, and elected to accompany him on the mission to hunt down Grigori Rasputin’s lair. During this, Liz wrestled with her feelings for Hellboy and the sweet-natured John Meyers, who admittedly made her feel more welcome and normal than she ever had in her tragic life. When Sherman was forced to create a fiery shockwave to annihilate the nest of Sammauel creatures, it rendered her and the others unconscious. Rasputin later revealed Sherman’s dormant body to the chained Hellboy, enticing him to unlock the door that would summon the End of the World…in exchange for her life. When Hellboy at first refused, Grigori then magically sucked out Sherman’s soul as Hellboy watched on, screaming and crying with denial. This finally forced Hellboy to do as told, with the promise of having Liz returned to him upon unleashing the apocalypse. However, John Meyers then bravely intervened, reminding Hellboy that he could choose to do the right thing, snapping Hellboy back to his senses. He furiously stabbed Rasputin with one of his broken horns, and then, heartbroken, carried off Liz’s limp body, followed by Meyers. After Hellboy dealt with the Behemoth creature which had emerged from Rasputin’s dying body, he caught up with Meyers, who confirmed that Liz was “gone.” Unable to accept this, Hellboy gently whispered something incomprehensible in Liz’s ear…which incredibly caused her to reawaken. She flung herself into Hellboy’s embrace, and asked him what he had whispered. Hellboy, half-joking, said that he had communicated with the spirits “on the other side”, and had threatened to unleash his wrath upon them if they did not return Liz’s soul. Deeply touched, Liz then finally gave in to her feelings and kissed Hellboy as flames burst around them. Years later, Liz and Hellboy began to suffer relationship problems, mainly with her fiery abilities and his tendency to be sloppy and ill-mannered. Abe Sapien found out she was pregnant when he accidentally touched her belly with his ungloved hand, causing Liz to vehemently deny this, despite several pregnancy tests. When Hellboy was wounded with a spear shard in his chest, the team went to Bethmora in Northern Ireland to stop the awakening of the Golden Army, as well as to seek help from the Angel of Death. The Angel warned Liz that, if Hellboy lives, he will doom humanity and she will suffer greatly. Accepting the consequences, the Angel removed the shard and told Liz to give Hellboy a reason to live. She does so by revealing to Hellboy the revelation that he is going to be a father. After defeating Prince Nuada, Liz melted the crown that controls the Golden Army. She, along with Hellboy, Abe and Johann Kraus then quit the B.P.R.D.. As Hellboy contemplated the American Dream concerning his child, Liz corrected him by saying she was, in fact, going to have twins. Animated Movies Liz Sherman also appeared in the Hellboy animated series in the movie Hellboy: Sword of Storms, where she and Abe Sapien are caught in a plane crash and plunge into the ocean below. Fortunately, Abe manages to save Liz's life by releasing air back into her lungs (shown right). Liz also appears in Hellboy: Blood and Iron where she, Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and Sidney Leach battle Hecate. Category:Hellboy Movie characters Category:Hellboy II characters Category:BPRD-agent